The price of peace
by La Dea Del Caos
Summary: The realms of Asgard and Jotunheim have finally come to a durable truce. It is time for peace but King Laufey demands a precious token. Wasn't that what Loki was waiting all his life long? ** Reviews more than appreciated ** T rating from Chapter 1 to 6. M rating from Chapter 7 on.
1. Laufey's price

There was such turmoil at Valhalla that day, an unprecedented event was to take place in the huge hall of audiences. Servants were swarming around tables covered with golden tableware while Asgardians were beginning to crowd the sides of the hall, eager to witness a moment in history.  
Odin was as always, cool and self confident in his gleaming suit of armous, Gungnir the spear secure in his grip, the ravens Muninn and Huginn on both his shoulders. He did not show anything of his feelings about that unique event.  
His sons, Thor and Loki, were smiling trying to hide the uneasiness about the coming meeting; their sight was, as always, breath taking. The blonde prince draped in his flame red cloak was wearing his winged helmet carrying Mjollnir the hammer with him at every step. His thunderous voice could be heard from any corner of the hall while he was stealing pieces of meat and fruit from the tables.  
His more demure brother was smirking following the last preparations, standing close to a column, tall and princely in his gilded suit of armour with a long, flowing green cloak trimmed in gold.  
The atmosphere was obviously electric, the buzz of the voices was raising minute after minute until the trumpets blared. Odin sat on his throne, the ravens flew away in a soft fluttering. Loki and Thor stood on the steps of the platform, one at each side, expectantly waiting for the very beginning of that historic meeting.

The silence fell on the hall, the only noise heard that of the waving banners around the throne. A huge bronze double door opened and a small group of blue, weird creatures walked ahead. The Asgardians looked at them with mixed feelings: suspect, wonder, hostility. The blue creatures didn't seem to care of the people around them as they were proceeding towards the steps of the throne, under the watchful sight of the Sons of Odin. The Frost Giants were more than an eccentric sight in Asgard, their primitive outfit consisted in a simple short skirt, their bare torso showed all the mysterious scars of their kind.  
They stopped and nodded slightly in a sign of greeting: - "Odin Borrsson, we thank you for your invitation!" The one who seemed to be leader spoke in his low, hissing voice.

- "You are most welcome!" Odin answered looking at them.

The Frost Giant quickly swept his look from Loki to Thor, then back to Odin: - "Our King, Laufey , sent us as his ambassadors to discuss the most delicate issue of the peace between our realms."

Odin nodded, he was expecting Laufey to send envoys instead of coming personally being too concerned about his own safety in the Realm of Asgard. – "I understand!" He answered calmly. – "You will be treated with due respect."

The giants nodded and after a moment the leader went on: - "King Laufey carefully considered your offer, Allfather, and wants you to know that he is more than inclined to accept…"  
A relieved, slight buzz spread along the hall.

- "But…" The giant was not over. The silence fell down suddenly as heavy as stone.

Thor and Loki slight leant forward, the entire audience in anxious wait. The giant sneered pleased with the suspense. Only Odin sat coolly patiently waiting for the giant to go on.

- "But our King wishes to have a clear sign of your good will, Allfather, something that will allow him to think you are really inclined to respect this truce."

- "Go on…" Odin waved his hand.

- "Our King wishes to have his son back to Jotunheim." The giant answered coldly.

A buzz raised from the hall as Loki struggled to stand emotionless. Thor wasn't so successful, he stepped down on step obviously astonished and speechless.  
Odin didn't seem like grasping the true meaning of the request or, more likely, he did but was perfectly hiding his thoughts. He sat still, as if he was considering it. Loki was looking back and forth, the Frost Giant and Allfather unable to phrase a consistent thought.

- "Your King is demanding much from us…" Odin mused.

- "The truce between our realms is worth a precious token, don't you think?" The giant's voice was still low and self confident.

Odin nodded: - "The truce is much of importance but why trading it with one of my sons?"

Loki felt a surge of pride in listening those words, he looked at Odin, then at Thor, who was fidgeting forcing himself to stand still and silent.

- "Allfather, don't try to play with words… Loki is King Laufey's son…" He looked at the prince and smiled coldly: - "He's our prince and now we are demanding him back home."

The Asgardians whispered each other their own opinion; some were nodding clearly agreeing with the giant's words. What a marvellous chance to get rid of that frost giant raised as an Asgardian! Sending him back to his realm would look to their eyes as the best fortune ever.

Odin seemed like thinking about it: - "I shall think over it. For now, you're more than welcome in my realm."

The giant grinned and nodded whispering his answer: - "King Laufey desires an answer in short time, Allfather, do not waste time thinking over his gracious offer for too long!"

The giants greeted the king and the princes, then followed the courtiers that were appointed to escort them to their rooms.

The buzz raised at an uncontrollable volume while Thor and Loki seemed like coming back to life after being nailed down to the platform for the entire time of the meeting.

- "Father… father… you cannot accept such…" Thor rushed to his father's side but Odin stopped him with a gesture of his hand.

- "Hush… we will speak about it later…" Thor was sure he glimpsed a hint of worry and sorrow in his father's features.

Loki was speechless, he stepped back to a corner of the platform, unable to speak. He felt deeply confused, his true father was now claiming him back to his true land. Until a few hours later he would have been delighted of such a fortune… coming home, being reinstated as a crown prince… he too would have had a realm to rule, one day. He would have been a rightful prince and not a bastard one. Wasn't that everything he had always wished for? So, why was he so much confused? Why was he unable to rush to Father and beg him to let him go with the Frost Giants? He was, instead, dazed and trembling, his eyes shifting continuously from Thor to Allfather and back, his ears full of the whispers of the Asgardians who were hoping Allfather would have complied with Laufey's request.


	2. A hard decision

**A HARD DECISION**

Laufey's request came completely unexpected; Odin could have easily thought that Laufey would have demanded something as a token for the peace but he couldn't expect him to claim his son back! He had left him to die in the aftermath of the battle, a small shuddering and whimpering baby, barely covered with a cloth. He was so small in his hands when he lifted him from the frosted ground. Little Loki had immediately stopped whining and had smiled confidently. He brought him together with the Casket of Ancient Winters to Asgard meaning to store the Casket in a safe place and raise Laufey's son as his own son.  
Loki was unusually small to be a Frost Giant and he would have easily passed for an Asgardian. Frigga came to love him at first sight and immediately showered him with care and affection, never sparing him maternal warmth. She was delighted with a second son to raise according to her expectations.  
Thor was meant to be the crown prince so he was taught in martial arts, always kept away from her to be trained in battle and other manly activities. Nobody cared of little Loki and that had given her the invaluable opportunity to teach him more subtle skills, slowly introducing him to magic in the cosy environment of her household.  
Even as an adult, Loki didn't show any of the peculiar features of his kind; his size remained pretty the same as an Asgardian, even a little smaller than Thor and surely more slender. Nobody ever told him about his true parentage and its discovery had been a shock for him leading him to cause havoc in Asgard and Midgard. Nevertheless, Odin had forgiven him and welcomed back home, to Asgard.  
He was banned from going closer to the Casket of Ancient Winters that would have unleashed his real nature, causing him to turn his skin blue, his eyes red and the peculiar marks of his kin to surface on his body. He thought that Odin's prohibition was laughable as he by now knew of his origin, he didn't know to see himself turning into a Frost Giant to know he was one!  
All he was thinking about was to have his own revenge, his own place as a rightful prince and king, he tried to seize Asgard for himself, then Midgard but all his attempts came to a failure due to his damned foster brother, Thor.  
He had forced himself to forget the beautiful moments he had spent with him, those precious intimate moments…

But now that the wished for day arrived, his will was shaken to the ground.  
Odin was sitting in front of a huge fireplace, the fire crackling and casting warm light all around. He was deeply thinking over Laufey's request.

- "Father…" Thor broke the silence. – "You really cannot consider letting Loki go…"

Odin was still silent staring at the flames.

- "He's your son… my brother…" Thor insisted but Odin gestured him to shut up.

- "It is a very heavy token that Laufey is asking for our peace…"

Thor waited for the rest eagerly.

- "I have raised Loki as my own son and I love him as so. Nevertheless, we all know that he is not of our kind…" Odin went on calmly. – "He has been always the first to point out his differences. We all know how much uprising he caused because of his insatiable desire for ruling…"

The blonde god looked at him in disbelief: - "You're meaning… you are letting him go?"  
Odin shook his head slowly: - "He will be the master of his destiny, Thor… I will give him the chance to go to Jotunheim… I cannot deprive him from this possibility…"

- "But…" Thor tried to reply but Odin stopped him.

- "It would be unfair from me to forbid him from going to where he comes from. "

Thor was hardly believing his ears: - "Father… you cannot…"

- "Are you questioning my decisions, son?" Odin looked at him sternly.

- "No… of course… only… you're giving up so… so quickly!"

Odin sighed: - "Loki is a crown prince as you are, only… his realm is another one. I brought him here because he would have been died if I had left him in Jotunheim and that was not right. You understand? Laufey had rejected him and I didn't imagine that one day, he would have come for him. Between death and a lost realm, the first seemed a far better option but now… if Laufey wants his son back and he is ready to give him the chance to be his heir, his rightful heir the way you are to me… then… we have no right to keep him here and force him to be the prince who will never inherit a throne on his own".  
Odin's reasoning was flawless and yet Thor still didn't want to follow it. He shook his head: - "It all sounds like Loki was only a marketable item!"

- "It's up to him!" Odin stood up cutting short his son's protests. – "If we refuse, Laufey will take it as the clear signal we are not planning a peace with his realm. If we accept, we will be considered as those ready to market a son for a political scheme. Laufey devised his plan very cleverly, every decision we may take will cast a disapprovingly shade on us. The only person who can take the right decision now is Loki."  
Thor couldn't answer back, he could easily see how Laufey's plan was so coldly perfect: to the eyes of the Nine Realms, he would have played the role of the father eventually welcoming his son home after ages of exile while, in truth, he was the one who was marketing him for a peace. He swallowed and lowered his eyes.

- "Yes father… I am calling him…"

Loki was summoned in the hall, he stepped in silently. The light of the flames gently played on the chiselled features of his face. He was slowly biting his lower lip, a twitch Thor had come to understand he had when he was nervous. He smiled faintly, how well he knew his brother! More than anyone else in the universe and how beautiful he was in that very moment!

- "My son…" Odin spoke slowly and quietly. – "I've carefully considered King Laufey's request and I've come to the conclusion that I cannot give him an answer on your behalf. I cannot take this decision for you, my son… "

Loki raised his eyes, an amazed look on his face. Odin went on: - "I brought you to Asgard believing it was for your sake as I couldn't leave a baby die in a wasteland. I brought you here out of love and believe me, nothing has been done to harm you. I loved you as my son from the very first moment I laid my eyes on you, so your mother and brother did. Nevertheless, it would be unfair from me to keep you here against your will… I know you desire your own place as a rightful king and we know that your rightful realm is Jotunheim. I cannot keep you here as a prisoner If you wish to go…"  
Loki still wasn't believing his ears, all his prayers and wishes had come to reality in a bunch of hours.

- "You can go… if you wish so… my son"… Odin sighed as if saying so was such a hard effort for him.

Thor was looking at Loki with a pleading expression.

- "I…" Loki tried to speak but a croaky sound came out from his throat. – "I… it's all so unbelievable!"

- "Brother… please…" Thor whispered but Odin stopped him.

- "Hush Thor… let him decide on his own…"

Loki never felt so torn in all his life: now he was free, free to go home to his true land and yet he felt so sad. He had always thought that that moment would have been a glorious one, when he would have been finally acknowledged as a crown prince. He finally had a true father the way Thor had but… but he wasn't so happy as he expected to be. He kept nibbling his lower lip looking at Odin and Thor as if whishing Odin to suddenly forbid him to go.

- "I… I suppose I should go…" He then whispered.

Thor felt a massive weight landing on his heart and a lump in his throat: - "Brother…"  
Loki turned his eyes to him and smiled meaning to be reassuring: - "Yes… I suppose I should go… If the peace depends on me then… I should really go… I am going home… brother… I am going to the place I belong." His lips arched in a soft smile.  
Thor's arms were dangling along his muscular body as if all the strength had failed him: - "Brother… no… please… think over it better… you've time…"  
Loki shook his head gently: - "What else can I do, brother? If I don't go, my father will think that Asgard has no intention to comply with the peace and…" He sighed. – "And this may put our realms at risk. You know? I don't want this… I don't want any of you to run any risk."

- "You can simply say that… that you feel home here, brother… you were a baby when you came here… all your life has been here… Jotunheim is a complete strangeland to you!"

- "Perhaps it is so, brother… but I will learn to know it the way a wise kind should with his own realm. I will be a good king, brother believe me…" He smiled but Thor was sure that tears were stinging his brother's eyes. – "I will be a good and wise king and I will bring peace to our realms so that we will never have to fight each other. I promise you."

Odin stepped closer to Loki and rested his hands on his shoulders: - "Be it so, son… go… I am proud of you and I am sure you will be a splendid king."

Loki swallowed and smiled raising his eyes to Allfather, then nodding slowly.

Thor couldn't believe his eyes and ears and never, ever felt so helpless in all his life.

... TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Coming home

**Warning:**** This chapter contains referral to slash interactions**

* * *

**COMING HOME**

And then the day came. Loki felt overwhelmed with strange and indefinite feelings; Frigga wasn't stopping kissing and hugging him wishing him good luck. She was barely chocking back the tears while she saw him walking away along the was visibly proud of him, that was of some comfort, he smiled faintly while nodding and mounting on his horse. His brother had insisted on accompanying him to the Bifrost station and he couldn't be persuaded differently. The sun was rising behind the hills of Asgard and Loki looked at the sight feeling a strange sort of sadness in his soul. He had imagined that going home would have been such a joy for him, that he would have been so proud to be welcome again into his world but now that he was so close to his dream, everything seemed so absurdly different!  
The Frost Giants looked at each other but Loki couldn't tell anything of their thoughts while Thor's sorrow was more than evident. He didn't speak for the entire trot to the station. They dismounted just in front of the entrance and Thor sighed before speaking: - "So… this is a farewell, brother…"

Loki forced himself to smile: - "No, it's only goodbye. I will come back, I promise… I won't be so suspicious like my father, I know I can come here without risking my life…" He giggled but there was no joy in it.

Thor tried his best to look confident and quiet, he rested his big hands on his brother's shoulders and then drew him to his chest in a tight hug: - "I will miss you, brother… I will miss you so much…" He whispered in his ear.

Loki chocked back the tears, he couldn't show himself weak in front of his future subjects! - "Everything will be fine, brother…" His voice sounded muffled by Thor's chest.

- "My nights will be so long and cold without you…" Thor went on and Loki felt a shiver running down his spine. That simple referral to their nights together was enough to feel a twitch of excitement.

- "Brother, please…" he whispered softly trying to push apart the images of themselves and their heated nights.

- "Ok… sorry…" Thor looked at him mischievously.

The frost giants were waiting patiently not far from them, just out the station while Heimdall was, as always, as motionless as a statue waiting for the command. The leader then stepped ahead: - "Prince Loki, we must go…"

Loki sighed and cast a final look to the gilded domes of Asgard, to the huge bronze door and the glittering Bifrost. He filled his lungs with the salty air and wrapped the furred collar of his coat around his neck.

- "Fine… let's go!" He then answered steadily. He smiled at Thor for the last time and turned his shoulders to enter the station together with the frost giants and followed by Heimdall.

The blonde prince looked at him stepping inside the station and he thought how beautiful he was, such a precious jewel wasted in the coldness of Jotunheim! He looked at Loki's slender figure, the raven black hair carefully combed and reminded how striking contrast it was to his milky skin. He sighed already missing the mischievous spark in his green eyes. – "Farewell, brother…" he whispered to himself.

The journey home lasted a bunch of seconds and the small group landed on the wasteland of Jotunheim. Loki instinctively wrapped himself in his coat even if he knew he wouldn't have been cold. A never ending blizzard was blowing while they silently walked to the icy royal palace. Everything was silence, only the wailing of the wind among the icy stalactites an columns was to be heard. Loki forced himself to think that his new life had just begun and that inhospitable place would have been counterbalanced by his royal rights.

Laufey immediately summoned the group to his hall of throne and stood up smiling delightfully when he saw his son among the other giants: - "My son!" he hissed.

- "Father…" Loki bowed, it sounded so strange to his eyes to say "father" to someone who was, nevertheless, his real father.

- "Such a pleasure to welcome you home!" Laufey walked towards him, Loki was dwarfed by his size so he had to look up to speak to him.

- "The pleasure is mine to be home!" He smiled but there was something wrong in all that, he had imagined he would have been so happy… instead… Instead there was a creeping sorrow in his soul, something he had to conceal to his father.

- "Aren't you happy?" Laufey tilted his head.

Loki smiled trying to be as much believable has he could: - "Oh no father… I am happy, really… only… it's all so new to me!" That was the simple truth and could be easily believed.

Laufey nodded: - "Yes… I understand… There are so many things you must catch up with… " He sat on his throne again: - "You will be eager to see your new rooms, I believe…"

Actually Loki really felt a unrestrained wish to stay on his own and think over everything. He nodded with a smile: - "Yes father…"

Laufey grumbled in approval: - "Ah… son… You'd better stop wearing those Asgardian colours and clothes… You're a Jotunn and you're home!" He grinned.

Loki smiled back but he felt something deeply wrong inside, his father's smile wasn't a warm one… yes, he was a frost giant and "warm" was not a fit word for him but so far he hadn't felt the affection he would have expected after meeting his true father after so many years. He shook his head and followed the frost giants who showed him his new rooms.  
Of course his new apartments were deeply different from the ones he had left at Asgard, he immediately realised that all the cold colours were missing from that gloomy place. When the frost giants left him alone, he swiftly moved his wrist to materialize an merry fire in a fireplace. He smiled at the warm colours.  
He walked around, everything was finely carved in ice, sure it was a masterpiece but definitely something was lacking. He sat on his bed and took off his coat, he rested a few minutes, deeply immersed in thoughts, then he sighed and stood up; it was time! Time to reveal his true nature.  
He slowly took off all of his precious Asgardian clothes who were literally shining in the cold light of that palace. He forced himself to think that every piece of clothing he was removing was equal to a piece of his life in Asgard he had to forget. He then turned on himself and studied himself in a huge frosted mirror. His body was so slender and delicate, again he tried to push away the images of Thor looking at him without hiding his admiration and excitement. He brushed his skin that was slowly turning blue, the marks of his lineage surfacing on his arms and face and his eyes becoming bright red.  
So… that was his real form. He studied himself turning on himself in front of the mirror as if he had never seen him in his Jotunn self before. Why wasn't he feeling any pride for that?  
He lowered his eyes, the padded away grabbing the simple Jotunn clothing that had been left on the bed for him. He sighed and got ready for his new life


	4. New rules

**WARNING: This chapter contains referrals to slash interactions**

* * *

**NEW RULES**

Several weeks passed since Loki's departure and the life seemed to resume its normal pace at Asgard. The atmosphere, indeed, seemed much more relaxed without that trickster around. The court seemed more at ease without the constant worry of watching ones back. It just seemed that Loki's decision to leave had been the most appropriate.  
Odin had quickly accepted the new situation while Frigga was still missing his son sorely. She wasn't the only one missing Loki so dearly but if she was allowed to show her sorrow, that same privilege was not granted to the prince of Asgard.  
The night was starry and mild and the blonde prince sought a moment for himself slipping away from the party to stand alone on the terrace. A falling star crossed the sky and disappeared behind the hills. Thor sighed thinking back of when Loki and him used to sit on the highest point of the palace to stargaze rivalling in how many falling stars they could spot in the sky. They always ended quarrelling on the exact number. He smiled sadly thinking that for sure, the sky of Jotunheim wouldn't have allowed Loki to spot the stars and remember those moments.

- "Why are you here alone?" Lady Sif found him and walked to him gesturing towards the hall. - "Why don't you come in and join the banquet?"

- "I am not in the right mood…" Thor answered quietly.

The dark haired lady looked at him and shook her head: - "Are you thinking of Loki?" Her voice barely concealed an objectionable tone.  
Thor simply nodded.  
Lady Sif opened her arms: - "Why? He's home now… he's among his own kind… He's got what he wanted! A realm and a throne. I am sure he is more than satisfied now!" Her voice was somehow mocking.  
Thor was more than sure of the contrary. Something was telling him that Loki wasn't that much satisfied and happy, he couldn't tell how he knew that but it was rather like a sort of sixth sense.

- "Not sure of that…" He answered shortly, he didn't like the tone in Sif's voice.

Lady Sif leaned against the railing and folded her arms: - "Or is it more you would like it to be so? Do you want him back to Asgard?"

Thor gripped the railing and answered slowly but sure: - "Yes, Sif… I would like him to come back home…"

- "This is not his home!" The lady cut him off but Thor glared at her sternly.

- "I don't think you know him better than me… Sif… And believe me if I tell you that he hasn't found what he was expecting to find there! Now please, leave me alone!"

Lady Sif reluctantly nodded and walked back into the hall. Thor stood motionless, his mind full of thoughts. Yes of course, nobody would have known Loki better than him… not even Laufey.  
The plain truth was that he was missing Loki every moment of his day and his night, he was missing his mischievous tricks, his gentle giggle, the soft rustle of his green cloak when he walked past him with his feline stride but even more, he was missing him in the night. He was missing talking to him until late and then, feeling his cold skin under his fingers, the soft moans that escaped his lips when he gently caressed him, the beautiful sight of his emerald green eyes and his blissful smile when they spent the whole night together and he couldn't help hoping in his return.

Loki was still preferring the loneliness and he was exploiting every free moment to walk outside the palace and try to make himself familiar with his new world. Although he really tried hard to consider that frozen universe as his own land, he was still finding hard to feel at home. After the first days he resolved on wearing his Asgardian clothes to much of his father's disapproval.

- "I am not pleased of your decision to wear those Asgardian clothes." Laufey voice was low, as always.

- "I am sorry, father, but I don't feel at my ease differently." Loki was indeed quiet.

- "It is very laughable of you to wear like the Aesir, my son… Even if they accepted you among them, remember that you are not an Asi".

That was the simplest of truths, the very reason for him being there and wishing Jotunheim's throne so much. He thought that eventually the trickster got tricked: if the Aesir did frown at him for not being like them, the Jotunns still didn't trust him fully and considered his Asgardian manners as something exotic and completely out of place. In the end, he was feeling alone even in his realm.

- "I am sure I will learn how to behave properly, father!" He answered mildly, not really believing his own words.

- "Good." Laufey nodded smiling coldly and walked to him. - "And it is better for you to start proving to be fit for the throne immediately".

Loki looked up at him quizzically, wasn't he fit for his birth right?

- "Your lineage is not enough to prove you are fit for the command, my son…" Laufey seemed to read his mind. – "I do not blame you for not knowing this, of course, you've lived all your life far from here and you are not accustomed to our sacred traditions." He stopped closed a high, frosted window.

Loki barely contained his curiosity but something was telling him that the upcoming news wouldn't have been pleasant.

- "There is something a king must be very concerned of … and this is his descent. A throne is weak if there is no rightful heir and a weak throne means the risk of internal uprising and revolts… We cannot permit this."

A cold shiver run down his spine but Loki forced himself to follow his father's speech.

- "So… the very first thing a prince must do is to prove himself capable of fathering a heir."

Loki was confused but he immediately regained control of his mind. With his most sugary smile he gently came in: - "Father… I have no fiancée, I have never had one, even at Asgard."

That was absolutely true; although he was of age for a proper marriage, Odin never considered that option. On the other hand, he would have been of very little political weight being Thor the one who should have contracted a rich marriage. Nevertheless, none of them were really paying attention to such boring matters. No woman would have ever equalled the joy of being together, they really never missed a mate.

Laufey smiled: - "No wonder Allfather has never searched a bride for you... it was not you the one who was meant to rule Asgard."

That was also true.

- "But you are meant to rule Jotunheim and you must prove worthy of it!" Loki went on. – "This is why I have decided your wedding to Angrboda, the daughter of my lieutenant, Isleifur… She's of a small size, like you… And when you've fathered a son with her, then you will be appointed the sole, rightful heir to the throne of Jotunheim! I am afraid neither he will be of the right size but he will be a rightful heir, nevertheless."

Loki was completely speechless, that was something that wasn't meant to happen! Not now, not that way! He better had to find a quick solution. He feigned gladness: - "Father, when will I be allowed to meet my bride, then?"

- "Very soon, son… at the next banquet. I am sure you will like her, she's praised as the most beautiful daughter of Jotunheim, a fit companion for a prince."

- "Very well, father…" He nodded respectfully. – "I am bound to comply with your wishes."

Laufey smiled and waved his hand: - "Good. This is a good beginning for you. Now you can go."

Loki nodded again and slowly walked out of the hall.

He clenched his fists and set his mind in motion.


	5. New plans, old secrets

**WARNING:**** This chapter refers to slash interactions**

* * *

**NEW PLANS, OLD SECRETS**

Banquets at Laufey's palace weren't that much different than at Odin's: there was plenty of food, music and noise. The only detail really missing was the colour. Everything had a bluish hue, from the walls to the skin of the Frost Giants, their red eyes being the only coloured spot in an otherwise frozen world.  
Nevertheless, everybody seemed to have fun, first of all Isleifur who was strutting about the unexpected luck that had fallen upon him.  
Loki was still dallying in his rooms fixing his furred cloak around his shoulders; he still had to get used to his true nature so he was lingering in front of the mirror, studying the long, winding marks on his skin and his bright red eyes. His neck was adorned with a large golden collar, golden bangles were clasped around his biceps and wrists. His bare chest was partially covered with a tick furred cloak fastened by large golden buckles. The tiny crown made of icy spikes was gently resting on his raven black hair. His overall look was none less than princely. He smiled to himself and slowly walked down to the banquet hall.  
Laufey stopped talking to the unknown giant besides him and greeted his son: - "Loki! Come here!"

The prince motioned towards him duly smiling to his father: - "Father…"

- "I think it is the right time to introduce you to Isleifur." He moved his eyes to the giant next to him.

Loki raised his head and smiled to the giant politely: - "My lord, I am really pleased to meet you."

- "Prince Loki…" The giant answered almost growling.

Loki thought that the giants really lacked the pleasant and harmonious voice of the Asgardians, nevertheless, he didn't stop smiling.

- "I am extremely honoured of the unexpected privilege your father allowed me and my family." Isleifur went on.

- "Father surely knows what's better for us!" Loki's voice sounded sweet and polite.

Laufey was obviously overjoyed: - "I think you are eager to meet your bride, my son."

- "Sure father, I am!" Loki smiled like the good son he wished to be.

The king nodded to Isleifur who motioned towards a small giantess dressed in a glittering white gown.

- "Prince Loki, allow me to introduce you my daughter, Angrboda."

The girl raised his eyes until meeting Loki's and smiled shyly before looking at the pavement again.

- "My lady, I am overjoyed to meet you…" Loki nodded and smiled duly.

- "I am very lucky and honoured to meet you, my prince…" Loki was surprised at the sound of Angrboda's voice. He was expecting some kind of bestial growl, as typical of most of Frost Giants, to the contrary, the girl's voice was sweet and harmonious even if not exactly like an Asgardian one.

Loki estimated Angrboda's age as a few years younger than himself, from what he could see, she was rather pretty for being a Frost Giant . Overall, she would have made a good bride for him.  
The young Frost Giantess kept her eyes to the ground but she was enraptured by her future husband, that very first sight had been enough to make her fall in love completely with had never seen him before but she was quite curious on him; her father had told her about that long lost son of Laufey and how the king had plans regarding him and her. She had put up with the idea of getting married pretty soon in her life but she was expecting to be promised to one of the best warriors, a prince was completely beyond her expectations. Prince Loki, then, was even better than her most wonderful dreams: to her eyes he was beautiful although a bit strange due to his still enduring Asgardian manners. That wasn't a complete fault, she thought, that was something that made him even more seductive.

- "You two will have all the time to make your acquaintance!" Laufey laughed.

Loki smiled and nodded: - "Sure, father… she's very pretty. I am sure she will be a perfect wife."

Isleifur looked at his daughter gratified.  
The prince reached the other guests and enjoyed the banquet as he seldom had done at Asgard.

Eventually the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three persuaded Thor into going out for an excursion. Their horses were quietly trotting along a path in the wood. Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral were in front of the Lady Sif and Thor who were following a few steps behind. They were chatting and weren't paying any attention to the couple behind them.  
Thor was pretty silent when the Lady Sif exclaimed: - "You should stop thinking of Loki, Thor… Thinking of him so much does no good to you."

- "I've never heard of a thought being deadly." He muttered.

- "No, sure… But it takes energy away from you and you need all your concentration if you want to rule over Asgard."

Thor shook his head, eyes straight in front of him: - "Right now I have no desire to rule over Asgard, Sif."

- "You don't look like yourself, Thor. You were eagerly waiting for the day Allfather would have appointed you as his heir and now… Now you don't seem to care any more!"

Silence.

The Lady Sif went on: - "You still don't want to acknowledge the fact that Loki is home now, he's leading his life the way he pleases him more and… And I am not fully sure he's still thinking of you!"

- "Why are you saying so?" He mumbled.

- "Because I care of you, Thor! And I don't want to see you wasting your time thinking of someone who has more than likely forgotten you!"

That wasn't possible, Thor was discarding the possibility from the very beginning. Loki would have never forgotten him! He didn't know what his brother was doing in his icy realm of Jotunheim, if he was really happy as Sif and the others were continuously telling him or if he was sad and struck by melancholy. What he knew from the very bottom of his heart was that Loki would have never forgotten him.

He felt annoyed by Sif's words: - "I don't think you are in the right position to judge my brother such harshly, Sif." He answered bitterly

- "After all what he did to you, to us… you still defend him!" The lady looked at him in disbelief.

- "He's my brother". He replied quietly.

- "He's your foster brother, Thor… quite a stranger… or at least he proved to be so each time he mocked us with his hideous tricks."

- "Stop here, Sif". Thor's voice raised slightly in a growl.

Lady Sif remained silent for a few minutes, then she suddenly asked again: - "So… is it true what I heard?"

Thor looked at her quizzically: - "What did you hear?"

- "Quite incredible gossips about you and Loki… I really cannot believe them!"

- "What about?" Thor's curiosity awakened.

- "Oh, stupid stories about you and Loki being…. Well… " She struggled to find a suitable word, then she resolved with simplest but most effective one. – "Lovers."

Thor blinked and smiled trying to conceal his thoughts. Damn! As long as Loki was with him, he didn't care people figuring out the truth but now that he was alone, it was of most importance to conceal it. He wasn't embarrassed at all by the statement in itself but he really found important to defend his brother's honour. If Asgard had found out that awkward truth, everybody would have surely thought that Loki had cleverly manipulated him for his own interest, to get something back, for instance being appointed as joint regent once Thor would have been king. Odin would have probably sent Loki in exile forever deeming him a major risk for Asgard's stability.  
The truth was far different than that: they were in love with each other, they had probably always been and there was no calculations behind their meetings. They simply enjoyed their company and the sheer pleasure of their nights together.

He smirked but didn't answer. Sif's eyes widened: - "Does your silence mean that the gossip is true?"

Thor kept smiling without answering. Sif's voice was tinged with frustration: - "Answer me! Was Loki your… lover?"

- "Would it be of some importance to know?" He finally answered.

- "To me… yes!" The Lady Sif's voice became sweeter.

- "Loki is special to me. He loves me more than anybody else. I love him more than anybody else. That's all."

Sif shook his head: - "Shall I take this as an admission?" She finally asked.

- "Just take it as your feelings allow you to…" He answered mysteriously.

The lady sighed and slackened the reins trotting past Thor.

The blond prince remained immersed in his thoughts. Yes, it was all true, Loki was his lover and he was Loki's lover and he would have been tempted to tell everything to the Lady Sif, tell her how much he enjoyed keeping him tightly against his chest, feeling the pleasant chill of his skin against his overheated one, sinking his nose into Loki's hair to breath his unique scent of dew and moss. And still, he would have liked to tell her about Loki's searing kisses, about his sinewy and glowing pale body, about his sweet smile and precious eyes, about his velvet voice when he was whispering all his dreams to him.  
Whatever Asgard was gossiping about them, they weren't half a way from the truth, they couldn't even imagine the bliss of embracing Loki and watch over his sleep all night long.

That was the secret Thor would have guarded until Loki's return.


	6. Sending a signal

**SENDING A SIGNAL**

The blizzards of Jotunheim did no well to Loki's magic. If in Asgard he was the most powerful magician ever seen, his skills seemed to have been dimmed in the freeze of that icy realm. He was sure still powerful but he felt like something was slowly hibernating.  
He closed his eyes and centred even more trying to create the void in his mind, he had to create a link, a sort of a duplicate of Bifrost who could send an image of himself up, to Asgard.  
Over all the months he had already spent in Jotunheim, he did not hear a word from Thor and he was pretty sure that it wasn't his brother to blame for that; Odin surely had forbidden any contact between them for fear that it might have been considered as an attempt to steal information from Jotunheim. He was uncertain whether to consider that as an act of courtesy from Allfather as if something had leaked up to Asgard, Laufey might have thought his son to be a traitor.  
Nevertheless, he was missing Thor's roaring voice and his strong hugs very much. He was trying to behave like a perfect Jotunn prince but for the very first time he was somehow realizing that he was more Asgardian than he ever thought to be.  
He sat motionless, closed his eyes until a weak glow materialized in front of him wavering in the draft.  
The faint light throbbed for a few seconds before moving upwards followed by a tail of tiny sparkling stars.  
In that very same moment, Thor's sleep was restless. He was tossing and rolling in his bed until he woke up all of a sudden: - "Loki!" He murmured. He was sure he had spotted a faint light besides his bed, he was sure he hadn't dreamt of it and he also knew that it was some sort of signal from Loki. Was he in danger? Was there something wrong? In spite of all Sif's reassurances, he didn't believe Loki was that happy and fulfilled in his icy realm.  
He crossed his arms under his head and kept staring at the dark ceiling thinking of what to do. He was so much curious to know if Loki had well settled in Jotunheim but Father had forbidden him to go there… After the last time when he nearly caused a war between the two realms, Jotunheim had become off limits for him. He had to devise a way to reach Loki and make sure that everything was fine. He sighed, he had never been the clever one, Loki was the master of tricks and devices, the one who could easily find a solution for every dilemma.  
Now that Loki had gone, Lady Sif had become more bold, probably spotting the unexpected opportunity to carve out her space next to Thor. He had always shown appreciation and respect for her but all her efforts to draw him closer had always failed and she had always suspected that the main reason had to be attributed to Loki and his damn magick. She was more than sure that only by resorting to it Loki could have bound Thor to him so tightly. She still couldn't believe that all those gossips about them were true in spite of Thor's half admission.  
Loki's wedding to Angrboda had been scheduled and Laufey looked very pleased of that; he was indeed hoping that his son would have produced an heir as soon as possible so to secure his throne.  
The young frost giantess was delighted, she indeed even loved that unique Asgardian flair of her future husband, he was surely more graceful and well-mannered than any other frost giant and he was always so kind to her, telling her so many sweet words. She was sincerely hoping to bear him a child immediately. There was much activity in the royal palace to get everything ready for that unique event.

Loki's wedding was to be the following day, everything was ready but the prince's mood was mixed-up: from one point of view, he knew that getting married and producing an heir was what was expected from him as a crown prince of Jotunheim and he knew that Jotunheim was undoubtedly his land. From another point of view, he didn't feel ready to be father, to raise a child and form a family. He honestly didn't want to become like Odin, ready to trade his children for complete power and control.  
He was sitting on a frozen projection of rock deeply thinking of such subjects and looking at the bluish horizon. He wrapped himself in his furry coat and bent his legs against his chest.  
A baby would have been only the proof for him to be ready for the throne, it wouldn't have been nothing more than that. He didn't feel like having a baby only for such reason and he didn't even feel like having one with Angrboda. She was surely kind, nice, lovely and sweet but even if he was always so sweet to her, he wasn't in love with her. His soul was more or less a wasteland like Jotunheim and he didn't think he would have ever fallen for her.  
Odin had brought him to Asgard and raised as his own son just to have a pawn to use the right moment, like now! Oh, it had been a grand decision to let him come back to Jotunheim: that served so many purposes! The generous Allfather allowed his dear foster son to go back to his natural land thus sealing a durable peace with Laufey and in the very same time, he got rid of a frost giant free to wander at Asgard. Very clever of him!  
He knew how one feels when being wanted only for political reasons and he didn't want to have a child for those same reasons.  
He jumped when a glaring flash appeared some ten meters in front of him and a cloud of ice rose all around. When the haze straggled, he saw a small red dot walking to him.

- "Thor!" He immediately jumped to his feet looking unbelieving at his approaching brother. He ran down the hill towards him. – "Brother… what are you doing here?" He asked surprised and worried.

- "I needed to know how you are." Thor answered. Loki felt a surge of happiness in hearing his low voice.

- "I… I am ok brother!" He smiled feigning complete serenity.

- "Listen brother…" Thor looked down at him. – "I have very little time before the frost giants realize my presence here and come here to check what's happening. I told Heimdall I would have just make sure you are ok so he let me come here. I really need to know you are ok."

Loki smiled as much self confident he could: - "I am ok brother…"

Thor didn't seem convinced: - "Are you sure? I am under a different impression.."

- "Really? Why?" The younger brother smiled mildly

- "Some nights ago… I woke up all of a sudden and I am sure I caught the glimpse of a throbbing light just close my bed… It was sure one of your tricks and you sent it to tell me something."

Loki concealed the satisfaction of knowing that his little magic worked: - "I am getting married, Thor." He then simply said.

Thor blinked and looked at him in disbelief, his mouth open: - "You're what?"

- "Getting married… tomorrow." Loki almost whispered.

- "Wh… what? With whom? Why?" Thor was utterly dazed.

- "My father told me that if I want the throne, I must first prove to be able to father a child, a rightful heir…" Loki explained sweetly.

- "And you are…" Thor was even more flabbergasted.

Loki nodded mildly: - "It's my duty, brother…"

- "Listen brother…" Thor suddenly seemed in a hurry: - "This is your last chance to come home with me… Come home brother, please, come to Asgard."

The dark haired prince felt a pang in his heart, those words sounded so sweet, his brother's voice so lovable while pleading him to go to… home? Asgard wasn't his home.

He bit his lips and shook his head: - "Asgard isn't my home, you know this…"

- "I am your home, brother… If Asgard isn't, then you cannot deny I am… Come to me again, brother… please!"

- "This is where I belong to, Thor… I cannot leave it." He smiled sweetly.

Thor clenched his fists: - "Really? You were always complaining with Father treating you like a pawn… but what's doing your real father, eh? He's doing right the same… the first thing he ordered you is to get married and produce a heir to secure the throne to your family… You are alone here, brother.. completely alone but if you come back with me, to Asgard, then you will always have me by your side…"

Loki tilted his head: - "Also against Father?" He whispered.

That was maybe one of Loki's tricks? Thor couldn't help but thinking of it. He quickly swept the thought away: - "Come with me, we will find a solution with Father… he will understand… "

A hollow rumble raised from the ground.

- "They are coming…" Thor looked at the horizon. – "They are coming brother… please… take your decision… I cannot stay more… and I won't be able to come a second time… This is your very last chance…"

Loki frowned and clenched his fists. Thor's reasoning was flawless… but if he had chosen to go back to Asgard, the Frost Giants might have taken it as a declaration of war. His decision might have endangered two worlds… but was he really ready to spend all of his life in a frosted world… and more important… was he ready to spend his entire life without Thor?


	7. Like nobody else

**LIKE NOBODY ELSE**

The Frost Giants were approaching quickly and their immense bulk was already visible on the low hills.

- "Brother please…" Thor's voice was dropped to a plea.

Loki was still torn between staying in his world or following what he had understood to be the most important thing of his life. His look was running back and forth from Thor to the Frost Giants who had realized that the tiny intruder was the red cloaked prince of Asgard.  
Loki looked back at them and clenched his fists. They could see the face of the first giants… they would have been over them in a bunch of seconds.

The Jotunn prince looked at his brother and nodded. Thor smiled and shouted: - "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost."

Nothing happened.

- "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!" Thor thundered. He knew perfectly what was going on. Heimdall was bound to protect Asgard and if he had deemed his return a risk for the realm, he wouldn't have opened the bridge. For sure Heimdall was considering Loki's return as a true risk for the peace of Asgard and because of that, he was refusing to open the Bifrost also for his own return.

- "Heimdall… let us come home! I know you are refusing to open the Bifrost because of my brother but are you ready to face my own death? What will you tell my father?" He shouted again.

The first giants were slowly walking to them, encircling them against a rocky wall, their arms quickly turning into sharp icy blades. Their growls were threatening and their eyes gleamed red.  
Suddenly, a blinding light enveloped the two brothers; the journey home lasted a few seconds before they landed into the Bifrost station. Loki quickly resumed his Asgardian look.

- "It won't happen again that you deceive me." Heimdall's hollow voice welcomed them back.

- "I am sorry, Heimdall, but I couldn't leave my brother in the care of the Frost Giants." Thor walked briskly around the main platform followed by Loki.

- "You were meant to just make sure your brother was safe. You were not allowed to take him back to Asgard." Heimdall answered, his voice plain.

- "I know… and as a matter of fact, I wasn't sure my brother was safe!" Thor answered promptly. Loki was surprised by his brother quick wit. – "Now, Heimdall, allow us to go to the palace and don't tell anybody Loki's back. Tomorrow morning I will go to my father myself to settle this matter. Understood?"

Heimdall seemed to think over his words for a long moment, then he nodded: - "Understood, prince Thor, but if you don't go to your father tomorrow morning, I will personally inform him of your guest."

Thor nodded and walked out of the station, his horse was still quietly waiting for him, he mounted and gestured his brother to mount behind him. Then he galloped straight into the city.  
Loki gently embraced his brother and closed his eyes feeling the warm air of Asgard gliding through his hair and caressing his bare skin. He would have never acknowledged it but he was happy to be back to Asgard and in that very moment he didn't want to think of how Odin would have taken his return.  
Thor cleverly avoided all the checkpoints and the guards, trotted inside the premises of the royal palace and stopped a few steps away from the stables. He turned his head back, smiled and whispered: - "Dismount, go to my rooms… I know you can do it without being noticed… See you there!"

Loki nodded, smiled in return and nimbly dismounted walking into the palace. Thor left his horse in the care of the stable boys, it took him only a bunch of minutes to walk to his rooms but when he opened the door, Loki was already waiting for him, sitting on a chair.

- "It's so good to see you back, brother…" Thor smiled happily throwing his cloak on a chair.

Loki's look was remote, his lips stretched in a thin smile. Thor frowned: - "You don't look happy…"

His brother shook his head: - "I am thinking of what this will mean to Asgard and Jotunheim…"

- "You can do it tomorrow!" Thor urged him.

Loki stood up and slowly unclasped his furry coat dropping it on the floor: - "You'd better enjoy this night, brother as I suspect your father will send me back to Jotunheim tomorrow…"

- "Father will understand!" Thor answered hopefully. – "You are no longer the brother I used to know… what happened to you, Loki? You weren't so demure! You were spiteful, mischievous… Damn! Brother! I want you back!" He slammed his huge hand against the wall.

The dark prince smiled mysteriously, then answered in his low, elusive tone: - "I am only suspicious, brother… and careful! And I know by now that your father will be ready to send me back to Jotunheim to save the peace between our realms. "

- "Would you go back if you were ordered so?" Thor's smile glided into a gloomy look.

- "Would you allow me to go?" Loki's voice was soft. – "Would you be ready to pay your love for me with a war?"

Thor leaned against the wall and closed his eyes : - "I don't know brother… I don't know…" His voice hinted his inner desperation. – "I don't want to lose you in the ice of Jotunheim but I don't want to be the cause of a war either." He opened his eyes again, blinked and looked at his brother: - "Brother, you're the witty one, you're the one with a ready solution for everything… Please… find one!"  
Loki's laugh echoed in the room, soft and sweet: - "My poor… poor brother torn between love and duty… I cannot tell you what's better for your realm and your life." He crossed his arms on his chest: - "I am the youngest, the bastard son, the one with no voice in Asgard's matters."

Thor flung at him and grasped Loki's slender shoulders: - "Don't ever tell that, brother! You're not a bastard son!" He growled..

Loki's green eyes glittered mischievously: - "I am!" he simply answered.

- "What must I do to make you understand you are not?" Thor insisted.

The Jotunn prince smiled sweetly, blinked, a sudden shift in his eyes now gleaming of a harmless light. – "Kiss me!" He whispered.

Thor glided his hands from Loki's shoulders to his neck, then his cheeks, leaned over him and kissed his lips with unexpected sweetness shivering at Loki's cool touch.

- "Brother…" Loki's whispered. – "I don't know what will happen tomorrow… if your father will sentence me to go back to Jotunheim, if I will flee seeking shelter in the other realms, if… if we will ever meet again… I cannot oblige you to follow me… But for this night, maybe our last night together, please brother… keep me with you… keep me in your arms…"

Thor embraced him caressing his long, raven black hair, resting his head on his broad chest: - "Yes brother, you will be safe here."  
The two brothers could not tell how many minutes elapsed in the silence and nightly coolness. Thor moved away and gently grabbed Loki's wrist leading him to his wide bed. – "Will you allow me to love you?"  
Loki nodded gently and smiled.  
Their clothes piled up on the floor, Thor caught one more time in amazement looking at Loki's ivory skin, his slender and ethereal figure. – "You're so beautiful…" He whispered while gently gliding his hand on Loki's hip.

The younger brother smiled sweetly: - "My dear brother, many times I've been jealous of you but never doubt I love you like nobody else in all the Nine Realms. "

Thor leaned over him, his long blonde hair tickling Loki's shoulders: - "So do I." He kissed him gently, savouring his cool lips: - "You're cold, brother…"

- "You know that…" Loki whispered.

- "What can I do to warm you?" Thor embraced him entwining his legs with his brother's.

- "Love me, brother… for I don't know what will happen tomorrow".

- "You're a master sorcerer, Loki… how it comes you cannot see the future?" Thor slowly caressed his hair. "

The dark prince chuckled: - "I am no Skuld*, brother… I cannot foresee the future!"

- "So… are we in the hands of fate?" Thor whispered in his ear.

- "We are, mighty Thor.. in the hand of fate and your father. Do pray they both will be merciful for I have no intention to bow my head to any of them". Loki caressed his brother's wide shoulders.

- "I don't want to think about it… not now…" Thor's voice was low and shrouded in his tick desire.

Loki moaned softly offering him his lips again. Everything slowly slipped out from their minds, the looming thought of Odin's wrath, the risk of Laufey demanding his son back once again on pain of a long, bloody war, the frost giantess meant to be Loki's wife, Sif and her plans on becoming Thor's. Everything slowly washed away in the kisses and the whispers.

- "I love you, Loki…" Thor quickly lost count how many times he whispered that sentence, answers made of soft moans.

Loki surrendered to him, his black eyelashes fluttering, his long, slender legs caressing Thor's strong sides. His back arched when Thor's slowly glided in him. Soft groans escaped his lips. Thor's lips trailed down his neck, lingering on his chest, gently nibbling and sucking his nipples.  
Loki kept his eyes closed, slowly sinking in his sheer and searing pleasure, his nails digging into Thor's flesh leaving red stripes on their wake.  
The slow, paced movement brought him close to the edge and beyond shattering him , his whimpering muffled on Thor's mouth.  
The night was so mild, Loki was forgetting how mild nights might be at Asgard. He lay on the furs, his skin, covered in Thor's sweat, was gleaming like precious mother-of-pearl, his black hair ruffled around his head.  
Conversely, Thor's body was laying still, rolled next to Loki, his muscles well-toned, amber-colored skin, such a delicious contrast to his golden hair and blue eyes!

- "I need you more, brother…" Loki whispered, breaking that enchanted moment.

Thor opened his eyes and smiled: - "You will have me over and over, this night, as much as you want, my most beloved brother."  
So was it until they fell asleep, Thor's head resting on Loki's chest, barely covered by the rich furry bedspread, the cold air of the last darkness before dawn still caressing the God of Thunder's overheated skin, then playing with Loki's angelic limbs.

The last hours of peace before…

They didn't know. They just didn't want to know .

_*Skuld, one of the three Norns in Nordic Mythology. She could foresee the future_


	8. Love or duty

The sunrays pricked Loki's eyelids; the dark haired god wrinkled his nose and slowly opened his eyes. The light was so strong, he rubbed his eyes, then blinked. It took him a few seconds to come out of the sleepy haze and realize that he wasn't in Jotunheim but back to Asgard. He sat on the bed, the bedspread glided slowly along his skin folding around his hips.  
A resounding snore snatched him out of sleep definitively. He turned his head and lowered his eyes on Thor, still asleep by his side. As always, he was taking up most of the bed by sleeping with his legs and arms spread open. A soft smile danced on Loki's lips, he stretched his hand and gently caressed his brother's shoulders with the tip of his fingers. Thor muttered something, then started snoring again.  
Loki slowly took one of the furs on the bed and wrapped it around his body, then got out of bed and silently padded to the window.  
The sun was gloriously rising behind Asgard's hills filling with golden reflections the streets and garden of that divine city. Loki suddenly felt clearly how much he missed the bright colours of that place, the warmth and the quietness of Asgard. He had deceived himself into thinking that Jotunheim was everything he needed, his true land, the place where all his rights would have been restored. He was a Frost Giant after all, so he didn't care of Jotunheim changeless landscape but once there, he understood well how things wouldn't have been how he had imagined.  
He closed his eyes, his body was still languishing thinking of Thor's touch.  
It was only a matter of hours… Once Thor had awoken, they would have had to go to the presence of Odin and be very good at explaining all the previous day's events, be exceptionally skilful to avoid Odin's wrath. Loki was more curious than fearful; would Thor have defended him until the end? Would he have stood in front of his father and finally claimed his love for him? Would he have shared the punishment with him? Loki thought that that would have been the very moment when he would have had proof of the depth of Thor's love.

- "What are you thinking of?" Thor's voice awoke him.

He turned on himself and padded back to the bed: - "Nothing… nothing serious…"

- "Are you worried?" The blonde god's voice was full of concern.

- "No!" Loki smiled reassuringly. That was the truth. He was curious, more than worried, curious to know how far his brother would have been led by his love for him.

- " Don't you fear my father's disapproval?" Thor sat on the bed.

Loki shook his head and smiled: - "No… In truth, I don't care… whatever he orders, I will do what I want."

Thor blinked and smiled amused: - "You are either totally mad or you have a hidden trick!"

Loki sat on the bed and let the fur slowly glide down his shoulders: - "Your reckless decision to come to Jotunheim to see me will cost you dear, brother.. It's you who must be concerned."

Thor sat closer Loki, thought over his words for a bunch of seconds, then answered quietly: - "I will face what my father decides for me but seriously, brother, I couldn't live my life in peace without knowing anything about you there."

Loki smiled gently, then turned his head to his brother: - "That's been very noble of you".

- "Crap!" Thor exclaimed. – "I was going insane without seeing you…" He smiled mischievously and leaned forward to whisper into Loki's ear: - "I was going crazy without you in my bed… I would have defied all of Laufey's army to take you back here right where you are now…"

- "In your bed…" Loki's lips arched in an amused smile.

- "Yes… The night that we just spent together is worth the risk of dying at Jotunheim, brother…"

The Jotunn prince smiled, then kneeled on the bed, caressed Thor's bristly cheek and kissed his lips.

Thor embraced him and whispered again: - "We've time… Make love to me once more, brother… please…"

- "Tell me that you will never love anyone more than me…" Loki's voice was low and sweet. He kissed Thor's cheek and sucked his earlobe.

The God of Thunder moaned softly: - "Yes, I tell you…."

- "Tell me that you're ready to defy Father for me… "Loki's hand run smoothly across Thor's chest while his lips trailed down to his neck.

- "Mmmh…"

Loki took Thor's moaning as a "yes". – "Tell me that your heart is mine, that you will never ever try to pretend loving someone else… be it a wife… Tell me that you will always show your love for me."  
He slowly lay Thor on the mattress, towering over him, his eyes fastened on Thor's. – "Tell me brother…" He kept whispering with his sweet, enchanting tone.  
He leaned down close to his ear and whispered softly: - "Swear your allegiance to me, brother… Give me your deepest and purest love to me and I will make of you the most powerful god ever seen. I will give you more power than your father himself…" While speaking Loki's hand slowly moved down, caressing Thor's hips. – "Be mine and I will give you all you desire and to start with, I will love you like never before".  
Loki's hand slowly reached Thor's erection and began to slowly stroke it.  
Thor's closed his eyes, moaned and grasped the furs under him. A low, panting voice answered a few seconds later: - "Yes my brother, I promise you everything… My love… I want you with me always… My eternal love…"  
He couldn't see Loki's satisfied smile playing on his lips.  
They shared one more moment of intimacy, kissing and loving each other in such a sweet way that Thor thought to lose himself, drowned in Loki's sweet and searing kisses, entangled in his supple body.  
They dozed off, Loki's head gently resting on Thor's chest, Thor's big hand dipped in Loki's glossy hair, the both of them barely covered by the furs, their skins a remarkable contrast.

Unfortunately love cannot stop time and Thor understood that he could no longer avoid to face his father. The two brothers dressed up slowly and silently: Thor thought back to Loki's word "I won't bow to anyone" and wondered what that would have meant. Loki's behaviour had been always bashful but that never meant that he wasn't dangerous or strong willed. He was a powerful, ruthless magician who would have been able to rip Asogard apart. By Asgard's standard he wasn't a great warrior as he had always avoided a direct contact with his enemy as if staining his hands with the blood of an opposer would have been objectionable. He was fighting by means of his magic and he was invincible.  
They both walked slowly along the huge hall, in front of Hlidskjalf, Odin's was sitting there, looking at the two brothers with a stern look. He didn't speak, waiting them to stop in front of him; he noticed that there was no fear, no submissiveness in Loki's eyes.

- "Do you two know…" His thundering voice was clear and easily understandable from any point of the hall. – "What your reckless actions have set in motion?"

Silence. Thor and Loki knew far well how such a false step would have been to answer in that very moment.

- "Is it that so difficult to keep a peace with Laufey?" Odin's voice was growling. – "Thor! Your stupid, reckless action has deeply offended King Laufey and now we cannot expect him to ask for any compensation but a war!"

Thor lifted his head and faced his father bravely: - "Father! Haven't you always said that Loki is your son? That you care of him? Well… then it was my duty as an older brother to make sure he was safe and happy in his new world!"

- "I never asked you to do so!" Odin voice was forceful.

- "It was my duty, father!" Thor's voice raised slightly.

- "I decide what's your duty and I did not order you to go to Jotunheim and kidnap their prince!" Odin jumped to his feet, holding his spear, Gungnir, in his hand.

- "Father…" Loki tried to cool the quarrel.

- "Shut up!" Odin's snapped and Loki silently retreated, looking down the stairs of the platform.

Thor was absolutely sure that that gesture of outward submission was instead a studied step.

- "Your action has been stupid.. and arrogant!" Odin resumed his conversation with Thor. – "You need to be taught a lesson, Thor!"

- "For what?" Thor looked up at him. – "For only showing affection to my brother?"

- "You didn't show any affection for him, Thor… don't you understand this? You put him in danger! Laufey may think that it was all a plot to steal information from Jotunheim and consider his own son as a traitor! Can't you see this?"

Odin sat again on his throne and remained silent for long moments. Then his voice was calm and steady: - "Loki is going back to Jotunheim."

- "No!" Thor exclaimed.

- "Are you questioning my orders, Thor?" Odin looked at him with an icy expression.

- "You cannot father! You just told me that Laufey may consider him as a traitor… what about if he killed him? I cannot let this happen!" Thor stepped on the first steps of the platform. – "You cannot allow this, Father! Loki is your son!"

Odin leaned on his spear, suddenly looking older and weaker for a bunch of seconds: - "Don't you think my heart is bleeding? Do you think it is easy for me to part from a son? Sending him back to where I will never more see him again? And yet, Thor… the first thought of a king must be the protection of his realm and put it even ahead his own desires. Loki belongs to Jotunheim…"

Thor shook his head, his anger slowly boiling down: - "Father… please…"

Loki was watching the row with his greatest interest, almost tempted to jump in and sweetly confessing the unspeakable relationship between him and Thor, how they were lovers and for that reason they couldn't be separated. He smiled subtly.

- "I am sorry, son… We cannot risk a war… But I understand your concern and I will allow you one more day with your brother. This time, say your farewell properly as I won't allow you a second mistake."

- "Father… what about Loki if you send him back to Jotunheim? You told me that Laufey may consider him as a traitor… he may kill him… You really cannot mean this!" Thor's tone was unbelieving.

- "All what we can do is to send Loki back to Jotunheim and hope that this will be seen as a goodwill gesture. Laufey will more than likely think over it twice before sentencing his own son to death."

- "No…" Thor shook his head.

- "This is what I order, Thor… Say your farewell to your brother today as this evening he will be sent back to Jotunheim."

- "Father…" Thor still tried to react.

- "I have no more to speak to you son… You two can go." Odin's tone didn't permit any reply.

Thor bowed, his body almost shaking. His steps and Loki's echoed in the hall when they went out of it. He clenched his fists but then he looked at his brother, so calm and relaxed: - "How can you be so calm, Loki? Have you heard Father's sentence?"

- "I have…" Loki nodded gently smiling.

- "No concern?" Thor was unbelieving.

- "Not at all…" He smiled again.

- "Why?" Thor's look was totally puzzled.

- "I told you, brother… I do what I want and I trust you…" Loki gently caressed Thor's fist with his hand.

- "What can I do?" Thor's mind was in utter confusion.

- "I am sure you know what to do…" Loki walked gracefully out of the palace and blinked at the sun, his emerald green eyes sparkled delighted.

Thor followed, gloomy and worried… as always Loki was unfathomable and in that very moment, he didn't know whether to love him or hate him.


	9. Odin's dilemma

**ODIN'S DILEMMA**

Loki thought that the conversation, better say the row, between Thor and Odin had been epic but still something was missing… something essential: his own voice.  
Odin had hushed him like a kid and he didn't like it at all, nobody could keep him in a corner, not even Odin himself. He hurried along the corridor and stopped in front of a huge bronze door, its threshold watched by two motionless guards.

- "Tell Odin I am here and I wish to speak to him." Loki voice sounded forceful.

- "Yes, Prince Loki!" One of the two guards nodded and walked in the chambers of the god of all gods announcing the visit of his youngest son. A few moments after, the guard came out. – "You may enter…" Loki passed by, his head held high barely acknowledging him.

- "My son…" Odin nodded and greeted him immediately.

- "Father…" Loki's voice was cool and his smile even more remote. He stopped a few steps away from Odin and stared at him. – "I ask the permission to speak. You did not allow me and I think I have right to tell my version of facts."

Odin nodded and sat on a large chair: - "Yes, I find it reasonable. You may speak…"

- "I am here to remind you the words you spoke when you met me in the vault of weapons."

The god of all gods stood still, his expression totally blank and Loki went on: - "In that occasion you told me that your plan was to unite Jotunheim and Asgard through me, I don't know what this plan involved but for sure, if you send me back to Jotunheim, it will never come true."

- "Are you threatening me, Loki?" Odin glared at him but Loki didn't seem scared at all. He smiled harmlessly.

- "No, father… it's plain evidence. If you send me back to Jotunheim, you will acknowledge the fact that I am not Asgardian, I was never and never will be… If you order me to go, then you will sever the only connection between Asgard and Jotunheim".

Odin's face was neutral again. Loki was well aware of his dialectics, he smiled again and opened his arms: - "It is more than clear that if I go, then all my concern will be about Jotunheim and there won't be any space for diplomacy left… not after being sent back like a trading token…"

- "Loki… you know that…" Odin tried to stop his son's flow of words but Loki just raised one finger and went on.

- "Without considering that you will show your weakness, your limits… You're the Allfather but by sending me back to Jotunheim, you will show everyone that you got wrong, that you're not… infallible." A wicked smile danced on his thin lips.

- "You know I love you and that it's been an unbearable pain to comply with Laufey's request but I must think of Asgard and ensure that it won't be threatened by any risk of war."

Loki shook his head and slowly moved to the window, he rested his hand on the sill and smiled again. His slender figure stood against the light: - "If you send me back… Asgard will be forever threatened not only by Jotunheim but by Asgard itself… Will your subjects still respect you after they know that you've sold your son for peace? I know far well that Asgard does not like me at most but are you sure your subjects won't think of what you are ready to trade next if you can give up your own son so easily?"

Odin knew perfectly how good his son was with words, he shifted uneasily on the chair: - "Do you really think so?" He then answered quietly.

- "I do, father!" Loki's voice was velvet and poisonous all together.

- "So, are you suggesting me to keep you here? To risk a war against Jotunheim for kidnapping their rightful prince?" Odin's voice raised slightly.

Loki chuckled: - "Do you have qualms now? You didn't when you kidnapped me as a baby."

- "I didn't know Laufey would have come back demanding you back." Odin raised his sound eye on him.

- "You knew there was the risk… and you decided to run it… Now that the risk has come true, you think to avoid it by simply sending me back from where I come from! Oh, father, it's not that easy!"

Loki looked at Odin, his eyes wet with passion of his speech: - "It's not that easy father! I had to tolerate Asgard's contempt all my life… I won't tolerate being dispatched to Jotunheim like a most precious gift!"

Odin stood up: - "Now… stop it! Everyone knows that you were burning with the desire of being a king… You've a chance now to be king… isn't that what you wanted? I also told that to you… Thor and you… you were both born to be kings!"  
Loki shook his head and graciously waved his hand: - "This doesn't help you to explain why you haven't foresee this outcome… Allfather…" He smiled fiendishly and lowered his voice: - "Think of it, Allfather… Sending me to Jotunheim will seriously jeopardize your reliability… for sure the Asgardians will agree with your decision… they have never considered me as one of you… but then they will probably think over it twice…" He looked at Odin's face to take a glimpse of an emotion but the Allfather's face was still blank.

Loki nimbly walked to his side and whispered: - "There's still something you need to know… father… I love your first-born more than you can vaguely think of… in ways you can never suspect of. This is what you always wished from me… to love your son… be sure, father… I love him more than anyone else…"

He smiled devilishly.

Odin looked at him in surprise, Loki had never confessed his love for Thor: - "What you mean?"

- "Exactly what I said, father…" Loki smiled sweetly: - "I love Thor and I wouldn't like to see him suffer… if you send me to Jotunheim be sure, he will suffer more than you can imagine in all your omniscience and… he might not forgive you for that…"

- "Daren't you play Thor against me! " Odin growled.

Loki shrugged: - "No need for that, father… Thor knows well what's worthy."

Odin thought that it would have been stupid to underestimate Loki's words; his younger son was a trickster, whatever he said might have been a joke or a threat.

- "This is all I have to say… I do hope you will think over my words… if you still decide to send me to Jotunheim, I will obey you but do not expect peace or gratitude. My father may be wishing peace now but you know me well, you know how easily I can warp reality in front of people's eyes and make them believe and do whatever I want…" He smiled respectfully. – "May I go now?"

Odin nodded silently and Loki walked out of the room with a cruel look in his emerald eyes. Odin walked to the window and looked at the breathtaking landscape beneath. Loki was always showing new faces, he had to think over what to do very carefully.

- "Loki, where have you been?" Thor spotted his brother coming out of the palace.

- "I needed to do something important…" The younger brother answered carelessly, walking past him.

- ".. or something dangerous? Or wrong?" Thor plied him.

- "Well… " Loki smiled mischievously. – "We can say… all of it!"

Thor followed him and looked at him puzzled: - "It looks like you don't care this is the last day we can stay together."

Loki stopped, blinked and looked up into his brother's blue eyes: - "You ought to be more optimistic brother… But you're right… time is short… so…" He grabbed Thor's huge hand. – "Let's go, let's spend this last hours in blissful activities…"


	10. Loki's web

**LOKI'S WEB**

Loki was lying flat on his stomach, his eyes not really looking the fading light of the afternoon, he was barely aware of Thor's fingers gently stroking his bare back. His mind was recalling the last moments and their passionate lovemaking.  
They barely made into Thor's chambers, closed the door behind their shoulders and they immediately found themselves locked in a fierce embrace, Loki's back painfully slamming against the wall. Their clothes quickly discarded in a pile of metal and cloth on the floor without any order, their bodies tightly clasped on the bed. Loki was always elusive for anyone in the palace, he was mysterious and loved to make everyone uneasy with his so "anti-Asgardian" behaviour. Nobody would have really ever imagined that he could be so wanton, so insatiable… Thor was driven crazy by that mere thought, the simple statement that he was the only person aware of his brother's "second life".  
He would have liked to take him immediately, rudely, as always to force that smile out of Loki's face. He was virile, strong and yet, each time he made love to Loki, his brother always smiled in that mischievous way that made him feel like he wasn't doing enough to pleasure him.

But then…

A sudden thought crept in his mind… that that could have been their last time together, that Loki would have been almost surely sent back to Jotunheim and knowing him, he would have never forgiven Asgard for that. Everything would have been over: all their happy days, all their intimate secrets, all the whispers, the smiles, the shared adventures… All over for Loki would have sworn revenge.  
He slowed down his pace, savouring his brother's sweet surrender, mesmerized by his enraptured look, his fluttering long black eyelashes, a hint of a blissful smile on his lips, his raven black hair scattered around his face. How beautiful he was!

- "Why have you slowed down?" Loki's voice came from far away.

- "I want to feel you the most I can… my love…" Thor whispered in his low, warm tone.

Loki moaned gently tilting his head back and arching his body.

Thor stopped and embraced Loki as if he had wanted to let him never go: - "My precious, precious love…" He whispered again.

Loki's mind came back to the present and he lazily shifted in the bed: - "Brother…" He broke the silence.

- "Tell me…" Thor's voice was relaxed, almost dreamy.

- "How much do you love me?" Loki turned to him.

Thor blinked, then smiled almost surprised: - "Why are you asking this? You already know, I told you so many times!"

- "Yes I know… " Loki nodded and slowly glided the tips of his fingers on Thor's shoulders. – "But I need you to tell me once more."

- "I love you more than anything, anyone in all the Nine Realms… I told you these same words many many times."

Loki's smile sent shivers down Thor's spine, the blonde God of Thunder knew far well his brother's mischievous look and how it might hide dangers and traps.

- "So… would you do anything to spare me sufferings?" The dark haired god's voice was sweet, almost pleading.

Thor frowned: - "Aren't you trying to bring mayhem to Asgard, are you, Loki?"

His brother sat on the bed and smiled innocently: - "Brother… if ever I did so, that would be my nature and I couldn't wrap it in the chains of Asgardian moral!"

- "It seems, Loki, that you are more than delighted to cause havoc… don't try to hide yourself behind your assumed nature!" Thor's tone was almost reproachful.

- "Oh… it's not me who's the cause of this situation…" He smiled again, harmless, gently laying on the furs.

- "Are you meaning it's my fault because I came to Jotunheim and coaxed you into coming back to Asgard?"

- "Not really…"

Thor growled: - "Oh c'mon brother, it's not time for your riddles…" He got up from the bed padding to the heap of clothes.

Loki smiled appreciative, his eyes slowly caressing his brother's toned body:- "It's a pity your body is so beautiful and your mind so small!" He grinned.

- "You're the brilliant one, Loki…" Thor didn't seem to react to his brother's provocation.

- "Ssst…" Loki raised one finger. – "It's easy, brother… if your father had left me dying in Jotunheim, now we wouldn't be in this situation… So… no… it's not you to blame but him!" His voice had become suddenly cold and bitter.

Thor froze on the spot, then walked back and sat on the bed: - "You wish you were dead, brother? Is this what you want? Death?"

Loki blinked, a treacherous smile on his lips: - "Maybe… in the past… Not now… Right now the only thing I wish is to know if you are ready to defend me… whatever happens in the next hours…"

Thor was sure Loki was devising a trick but he felt bound to defend him: - "I will do everything in my power to help you but.. I cannot defy father…"

- "So… In the very end… you fear him and you will be ready to swap me for a quiet life…" Loki shook his head and smiled again, as dangerous as ever.

- "Why are you always trying to warp people's words, Loki? I did not say I will sell you for my throne!" Thor asked while getting dressed.

Loki stood up and he also slowly began to get dressed: - "Just remember my words, brother… If you support me, I will make you the most powerful king ever!"

Thor's look got alarmed: - "Are you thinking of starting a rebellion, maybe?"

Loki chuckled: - "Oh no…." He looked himself in the mirror and carefully tied his long black hair in a ponytail. – "You'd better get ready, brother… it's almost time…"

- "You don't feel worried, don't you feel anything, really?" Thor's was almost disbelieving.

His younger brother smirked to the mirror, then turned towards him: - "I am reasonably sure that still something must happen before I go… If I ever go…"

Thor felt an unpleasant tickling under his scalp, clenched his fists and then grasped his brother's shoulders: - "Tell me what's in your mind Loki… I am tired of your tricks, riddles and mystery… For once in your life, brother, tell me the truth… tell me what's in store for us, what have you done? Where have you been this morning?"

Loki slowly stroked Thor's arms, his tone and smile were always mischievous: - "Oh, I've been more than honest, brother, believe me… I told the truth to who needs to know it. We just have to…. Wait… and see!"

Thor frowned , then leapt back: - "Haven't you gone to Father… have you, brother?"

The God of Mischief clasped his long, waving green cloak on his shoulders and laughed delighted: - "Is the Mighty Thor even so terrorized of the mere thought his father can get to know what's going on between him and his brother? It's hilarious!"

- "You are completely mad!" Thor growled. – "You're a fool! Father will get rid of both!"

Loki shook his head and raised his eyebrows: - "Or… he will be forced to save me for your sake!" His lips arched in a malicious smile.

- "I can't believe it!" Thor slammed his huge hand against a wooden chest: - "You used me! You used Father's love for me to come out of this situation!" He slowly shook his head: - "I cannot believe you're so mean!"

Loki crossed his arms on his chest and smirked again: - "Using your father is the least I can do after what he did to me… you are only… well… " He raised one eyebrow: - "My insurance for a successful outcome!"

Thor turned to him and quivered, he felt the compelling need to beat his brother senseless.

- "Don't be so upset!" Loki's voice was suddenly sweet and sympathetic: - "You love me anyway… even if I made you suffer, even if I ripped your world into million tiny pieces, even if I made you the most miserable creature in the universe… yet you would love me with all your heart." He stepped to Thor and gently whispered in his ear: - "Because all the hell I can pour on you would be equally balanced by all the bliss I can give you and for the deepest pit of suffering there's a highest peak of pleasure..."

- "You're… a monster!" Thor whispered.

- "Yes I am… the monster parents tell their children about, you should already know this…" He still whispered, his lips gently trailing down Thor's neck. – "And you promised, to defend and help me… and you are Thor, you never break a promise… brother…"

Thor closed his eyes and felt like falling right into a trap. His father's love or his brother's promise of endless bliss?


	11. Allegiance

**ALLEGIANCE**

The ride to the Bifrost station seemed endless to Thor. Loki was riding by his side and looked completely at ease, his eyes were boldly focused to the end of the bridge.  
Thor's mind was, instead, deeply disturbed by his brother's words. So, Loki had fooled him, loved him only to make him swear he would have helped him whenever he would have been in need. His soul was fiercely rejecting such a reality… There must have been another clue to understanding Loki's reasoning. Yes, Loki was the God of Tricks, he had been always naturally unable to be fair but Thor was deeply sure that his brother was able to deceive everybody but him!  
There was another point that Thor couldn't underestimate… Loki was right, despite all his tricks and his superior manners, he loved him unconditionally and even if he had so much suffered because of him, still he could not bear his sorrow.  
Maybe the truth was simple: Loki had deceived himself into thinking that Jotunheim was all he needed but the reality must have proven very different so he had turned back, maybe all his indecision had been only well staged and his plan had always been to come back to Asgard. Thor had to acknowledge that Loki would have been able to devise such a plan to go back… home. So… if that had been true, he would have been used twice: first to take Loki away from Jotunheim, then to be his own shield against Odin's wrath.  
Well done, brother!  
They reached the end of the bridge and dismounted from their horses. The last daylight was slowly fading away beyond Asgard and the view was absolutely breathtaking. The huge royal palace and most of the buildings were shining with golden light, such a warm light! And yet, Loki didn't seem impressed by it, his mind didn't seem to be touched by the thought those would have been the last moments he was able to look at Asgard and breathe the salty air of the bridge. He was standing still, his slender figure wrapped in his green cloak, his green eyes slightly squinted. Despite his hateful behaviour, Thor couldn't help but thinking that Loki was indeed, beautiful.  
Thor greeted Heimdall with a nod but Loki simply ignored the Gatekeeper who stood motionless like a statue.  
Odin arrived immediately after them, he dismounted and looked thoughtfully at his sons while walking towards them.  
Despite Loki's hideous revelation, he couldn't imagine that just while he was talking to Frigga about what to do with him, his sons were passionately making love to each other in such blissful abandonment.  
Frigga had been obviously very sympathetic towards Loki and had suggested Odin to put off his decision. In spite of Loki's unreliability, Frigga had been always ready to give him one more chance.  
When Odin had brought baby Loki to Asgard from Jotunheim, Frigga had loved him at once, he was even suspecting that after all, she was loving him more than Thor. For sure, she had been always ready to find an explanation and an excuse for all of Loki's tricks… but unfortunately that wasn't a teenager trick and a prompt decision had to be taken in order to avoid a war. Odin didn't tell his wife the nature of their sons' relationship. Indeed, he himself was still incredulous and wanted to believe that that was another of Loki's ghastly tricks. For that reason a confrontation with Thor was more than required.

- "I hope that you two have said farewell to each other…" He stared at both his sons.

- "Oh yes… father…" Loki smiled mischievously.

Odin frowned, Thor felt a cold wave inside. The Allfather walked into the Bifrost terminal and stopped a few steps inside looking at his sons again.

- "Thor…" Odin ignored Loki and looked at the blonde god: - "It's now the very moment for you to tell me the truth… don't let your brother drag you in the mire of lie…"

Thor shook his head and opened his arms: - "I… I don't understand… father…"

Odin still stared at him, his expression completely blank: - "You understand very well, son, the look in your eyes is speaking for you."

Loki watched the cross talk with a playful smile on his lips.

- "I… I have nothing to say… really…" Thor's defence was desperate.

- "Be so then…" Odin's voice became even more peremptory. – "Loki must go back to Jotunheim. If you don't say anything, then it means that you agree with me that it is of most importance to avoid a war between our realms and the only way to do it is to send your brother back to his people."

Loki's expression changed immediately: - "Brother… please… "His voice so thin to be barely audible, huge green eyes moist and pleading: - "Brother please… say something… You promised me…"

Thor would have a hundred time preferred to be sent fighting against the most horrible monster of the Nine Realms rather than being there in that very moment, called to take such a difficult decision.  
There were indeed many options: agreeing with his father on the necessity of sending Loki back to Jotunheim. Telling his father in which sneaky way Loki coaxed him into helping him. Defending his brother. Rejecting his brother. All possibilities were now laying in front of him, ready to be taken.  
He blinked and looked back and forth from him father to his brother.

- "Brother…" Loki blinked and looked at him in such sweet and desperate way that Thor felt his heart aching. His mind was loudly telling him that Loki was playing his tricks, wearing his most dramatic look to get what he wanted but… He couldn't be completely sure that just at the bottom of his heart, somewhere, Loki wasn't really scared and desperate and even if there was a 1% possibility that his brother really was afraid, then he could not leave him.

- "Father…" Thor tried to muster all his self-control. – "Why can't we take some more days and look into the matter more carefully?"

- "Don't you think I have thought over it enough?" Odin's voice was deep and quiet.

- "I do… but… Sending Loki to Jotunheim might be indeed the cause of future troubles…"

Loki's imp smiled in his mind, his brother was showing an unexpected agility and clearly proving to know him more than many others at Asgard.

- "So, are you telling me that the choice is indeed between an immediate war or a future conflict?"

Odin asked, his voice still quiet ad thoughtful.

- "More or less, Father…"

- "Despite this, son, we cannot keep him here. Sending him back will prove Laufey that we really seek peace and we are ready to do everything to reach a durable one."

- "Father… please, you cannot exchange my brother for a political plan!" Thor stepped next to Loki.

The dark haired god smiled at him grateful.

- "Heimdall!" Odin commanded – "Open the bridge!"

The huge Gatekeeper nodded and came up the platform, ready for the last command.

- "My son…" Odin walked closer Loki. – "You really cannot imagine how my heart aches, how I really wouldn't like to take this decision but… one day you will be a king and you will understand my decision even if now… you cannot…" He opened his arms to hug Loki but his son stepped back.

- "No! I don't want your hug! I don't want you words… and I don't want to hear that one day I will understand as if I were a kid! All I see is that I was, I am and probably will always be a token! Now I understand… this is the purpose why you stole me from Jotunheim! To have an ace up your sleeve! Oh… what a noble and dramatic decision, Allfather… you… so ready to give up a son for the sake of your people… you will be forever remembered and sung for this. What about me?"

Loki voice raised: - "What about me? Forever exiled in the ice, in the house of a father who rejected me and never ever moved a finger to claim me back until the politics demanded so!"

- "Loki…" Odin's voice was almost suffering. – "You know Laufey didn't know about you, he didn't know you were alive…"

- "I don't believe it!" Loki answered bitterly.

Thor was watching the wild talk in complete confusion: Loki had seemed so cool and quiet until riding to the Bifrost station while now he looked so desperate and scared! As always, telling who Loki was the true one was a mission impossible.

- "I am sorry, my son… I cannot do differently…" Odin shook his head.

Loki turned to Thor and pleaded so desperately: - "Brother, please… for the love you feel for me… Help me, you promised me… Don't leave me alone… brother please… Don't let him send me away from you… Please…"

Thor bit his lips, those words were boring a hole in his heart.

- "Father…" He then spoke. – "I don't think that thinking over it a couple more days will change anything… Please…"

- "It won't change anything, my son… Loki must be sent back to Jotunheim." Odin seemed unshakable.

- "I cannot… let him go… Father…" Thor's voice was now low.

Loki's heart exulted but his look was still a desperate one. So, Odin's first-born was finally taking a decision, the mighty Thor was betraying his father expectation for his love. What a beautiful, exciting moment!

- "Are you questioning me, son?" Odin was asking resolutely.

- "I only think… we can think better over it…" Thor raised his eyes on his father' face.

- "I order Loki to be sent to his father and his people, now! And you… you are still a prince, not a king so you are not in the position either to take a different decision or to tell me what to do!" Odin's voice was loud and powerful.

Thor quivered: - "I cannot believe you are ready to get rid of your son this way!"

- "How you dare?" Odin roared: - "How you dare speaking to me this way? You arrogant, fool boy!"

- "Someone will for sure think this is the best thing to do!" Thor replied immediately. – "But others will think you are a monster, father… you should think over it!"

- "So… What's the trick Loki cast on you to make you speak so boldly?" Odin stepped to Thor, looking scathingly at him.

Loki was thrilled, barely hiding the smug smile on his face.

- "Is all I've heard true then?" Odin's voice lowered dramatically to a bitter tone. – "Is then true, you both have rolled in a bed together like an husband and a wife, taking pleasure from your abominable acts…"

Thor felt a bolt striking him overall. Was then the moment he feared for so long? The moment he had to confess his father that yes, he had made love to Loki uncountable times and in none of them had he failed to feel the most intense pleasure of all his life? And that it hadn't been only pure physical bliss but it was something more, much more complete?  
He sighed and lowered his eyes, then spoke clearly and quietly: - "It's not… lewdness, father… It's not… "

Odin blinked and looked at him in disbelief.

His first-born raised his eyes again and looked at his father frankly: - "I love Loki, father. More than anyone. I cannot tolerate his sufferings in spite of his tricks, his… unreliability, his cold demure, in spite of everything… I love him…"

- "This kind of love is unacceptable from a crown prince, you understand, Thor?" If Odin was upset, then he wasn't showing it. His voice was still steady while he glared at Thor. – "I won't tolerate it!"

Odin nodded at Heimdall who opened the bridge but Thor stepped forward, between his father and his brother: - "I gave my word I would have helped Loki, I cannot break my promise!"

- "So… son… now… take your decision. With me… or with your brother?"

Loki almost stopped breathing on the brink of utter victory.

After a moment that seemed to last forever, Thor answered, clearly and resolutely: - "With my brother!"


End file.
